I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly capable of simultaneously connecting, mechanically and electrically, a plurality of contacts on multiconductor stripline ribbon cable to mating terminals on a printed circuit board. This is achieved with a construction assuring electrical paths of minimized length and a minimal number of electrical interfaces. The connector assembly provides a wiping action of the cable contacts relative to mating conductive terminals on the printed circuit board to thereby achieve an optimum electrical connection. The invention also maintains a relationship between signal and ground circuits which is controlled to minimize any disturbance of the impedance required in the system.
II. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been difficult to achieve uniformity of contact engagement of ribbon cable with mating terminals on a printed circuit board (PCB), particularly when the number of mating contacts and terminals is very large. Often times, the cable is semi-rigid permitting marginal flexibility, at best, between adjacent contact leads. As a result, in the event of irregularity among PCB terminals, there is likely to be an insufficient relative flexibility among the mating contacts to assure a proper electrical connection with their mating conductive terminals.
However, even where there is uniformity of contact engagement, it is not unusual for marginal electrical connections to result between mating contacts and terminals nonetheless because of surface contaminants, films, and the like. Furthermore, because of the high density of the contacts and terminals, it is not generally possible to clean the respective contacts and terminals prior to mounting a connector to the PCB. Also, maintaining adequate impedance control through the disconnectable interface was heretofore difficult to achieve in a dense pattern and in a short length.